Golfer Pagunsan named players' player of the year

Juvic Pagunsan has been named the Asian Tour's players' player of the year after he became the first Filipino to win the circuit's Order of Merit. The 33-year-old earned the most votes among his peers at Sunday's awards ceremony in Bangkok, following a consistent season that saw him miss only two cuts. Pagunsan's success was spurred largely by a strong November when a second-placed finish in the lucrative Barclays Singapore Open earned him $666,660 -- most of his $788,298 season's winnings. He registered three other top-10 finishes, sealing his place at the head of the tour's merit list. "It is an honour to be voted as the players' player of the year. It shows that my fellow competitors also believe in my abilities. I am proud of this achievement," said Pagunsan. South Korean star K.J. Choi was given a special achievement award for winning the US PGA Players Championship, while South African Tjaart van der Walt was named rookie of the year.